The Best Surprise

It should come as no surprise to anyone that knows me that I spend a lot of time asking people for money. No, I am not a pan handler standing on the street corner asking for money for myself. I do it on behalf of different organizations that depend on the generosity of those who have more. This blog alone was started as a way of raising money for The Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC while in incented me to lose weight–the ultimate win-win.
The fact that I spent most of this week meeting everyday to plan for or ask people for money is more than I do on an average week, but between church, school and the food bank it is money asking for season. I am thankful that people don’t run when they see me coming. The chairman of one group I am working with just said out loud, “They are afraid of you,” when talking about people I am recruiting to help me. Well that’s not good either. I certainly don’t want to scare anyone.
My goal in all my fundraising activities is just to educate people about any given need and let their own heart decide what the right thing to do for them is. I am yet to actually grab anyone’s hand and force them into writing a check. I also never treat anyone who tells me no any differently after they have turned me down. I understand everyone has their own causes and their own financial situations. But, I must say that most everyone says yes to some degree.
Today I had the nicest surprise in the mail. A card from the Food Bank announcing a generous gift in my honor from my friends Shelayne and Frank. It came as a complete surprise since I did not solicit them. I should have not been surprised at all since it is not the first time they have spontaneously given to the Food Bank in my honor, but they never give me any warning or heads up, just quietly give.
I want to publicly shout out a big thank you to Frank and Shelayne. Although I really have no problem asking people to donate money, I don’t take it personally or remember if they say no. That is probably why I ask again. But to get a donation I don’t ask for makes this a wonderful day. This is something I will remember. I say that and will probably be surprised when Shelayne and Frank give again–the best kind of surprise, one given from their heart unasked for.